TFTunedShox

How often should my rear shock be serviced?

Most rear shocks should be serviced annually but if you're a DH racer you might notice performance advantages of one or two services per year. This is due to the relatively extreme conditions a bicycle shock has to operate in... mud, wet, cold, hot & all this with as little as 100 ml of oil (that's 20 teaspoons to you & me). So the oil has to deal with some pretty harsh conditions & even the best oils will begin to lose their lubrication abilities & viscosity (thickness). This can result in wear of shafts/bodies and also a reduction in damping (speed control) of the shock. An annual service costing around £70 is much cheaper than a repair or replacement of a trashed shock after 18 months.

What work is done on a full shock service?

Before any service work is carried out the shock is cleaned & hand dyno'd to check its operation. It's then stripped & all oil seals/o-rings are removed prior to cleaning the individual parts in a chemical bath. Once cleaned & dried the parts are inspected before fitting new Fox/PUSH seals/o-rings. Then we assemble everything in accordance with the factory/PUSH procedures, put oil in the important places & charge the shock with nitrogen. On air shox we pop the air can on with some Float Fluid & pump her up to match your weight/bike. Next we do a leak test for nitrogen (& air on air shox) before popping it on the hand dyno to check all the adjusters do what they're meant to do. Next we replace the shock bushes where necessary, install the mounting hardware/reducers (replacing any worn ones), pop a small TF Tuned sticker on it & send it back.

What can Custom Valving of my rear shock achieve?

The oil flow through the piston of the rear shock is controlled by port volume (size of holes) of the piston, the amount and configuration of shims (very thin washers that bend under the pressure of oil) and the position of the rebound control needle. By balancing all these elements you can change the characteristics of the shock to help match how YOU want your bike to ride. You may want to have more low and mid speed compression damping to help reduce pedal bob, or perhaps you've been down the pub a little too much (put on weight) and need to up the compression throughout the range. Whatever improvement you want, it can usually be achieved, or if it can't we'll tell you. Fox rear shocks produced before '03 & '04 Pro Pedal have plenty of scope for improvement on most bikes, especially if you are in excess of 70kg or ride DH/Extreme.

What's the difference between Pro-Pedal & PUSH Platform Damping?

As with any mass-produced products there's always room for improvement by use of better components and more customer-specific set-up. Apart from the high quality of all PUSH components, the function of the PUSH Platform Damping system has a smoother transition from the 'Platform' to the bump absorption mode giving a lighter, more speed-sensitive, less indexed feel. The platform is also varied to suit specific bike designs and rider weight/style unlike the off-the-shelf Pro-Pedal. Another benefit is that the dual-stage shim stack reduces the shock blowing through its travel as well as reducing the mid-stroke wallow, especially in air shocks. Finally, unlike the Pro-Pedal system, the low-speed rebound circuit can be changed to match individual needs without affecting the high-speed circuit. This allows increased low-speed rebound damping rates, which aids in controlling excessive movement, while at the same time allowing the shock to respond more quickly in high-speed situations.

What advantages can the PUSH system offer for RP3/23/Septune's?

As with any mass-produced products there's always room for improvement by use of better components and more customer-specific set-up. The main improvements of the PUSH RP3/RP23 system are...

1. Improved rebound - A new piston is fitted to increase flow during higher velocities allowing the shock to respond quicker in high-speed situations. The next aspect of the rebound tuning involves different shim configurations, and is based on spring rate/air pressure used and the specific bike, rider weight and style. Of course, the final tuning is put in the hands of you, the rider, with the red Rebound Adjuster.

2. As with all PUSH Factory Tuning Systems it has a smoother transition from the 'Platform' to the bump absorption mode giving a lighter, more speed-sensitive, less indexed feel. The platform is also varied to suit specific bike designs & rider weight/style.

Unfortunatly we cannot create a lockout feel, infact PUSH tuning usually has a softer Platform although we can make them pretty firm when requested.

My Float shox has stuck down (fully compressed) & will not extend - why?

Float Shox, at full extension have a bleed port that allows the air from the front side of the air piston (main air chamber - positive) to pass into the backside of the air piston (negative) to create a balance giving a plusher ride. If the air piston seal for any reason during operation fails, then a large quantity of air will go from the positive side to negative & prevent the shock from fully extending. As the shock cannot fully extend it cannot balance itself & will remain stuck down.

The reasons for stuck down can be:
1. Air Piston Quad failure - usually happens when cold as the quad ring has less elasticity especially on shocks assembled befor Jan 2007.  Replacing the quad seal latest version during service will normally cure this.
2. Dirt/old grease build up in the bleed port - again a service will cure this
3. Damage to the air can (usually seat post!) - if the air can is not perfectly round air swap will occur. A replacement air can will be needed.

PROCEDURE TO CHECK FOR A “STUCK DOWN” SHOCK:
1. Release air pressure from the shock by removing the air cap and depressing the Schrader valve. You can use the top of the air cap to press in the Schrader valve.
2. Using a High Pressure Pump, pressurize the shock to 250 psi.
3. If the shock does not extend, it has become “stuck down.”

DO NOT attempt to disassemble the outer air sleeve or any other part of the shock. Air has become trapped in the air negative chamber and can cause serious injury if the shock is disassembled.

Why does it take TF Tuned Shox 3-4 days longer to service Float rear shocks with worn bodies?

If your damper body (shaft) has any signs of wear (the one opposite is very worn) we have to send your shock to the Fox distributor to get the damper body replaced. This is because internal, 'exclusive' parts are only supplied to Fox Distributors. When we get it back we will strip it down, do what we do inside (quite often different from the Fox distributor) and then send it back. All a bit of a ball ache which adds 3-4 days to the service cycle time.             Even a small scratch, where some grit has become lodged in the air can wiper seal, is enough to cause air leakage during use resulting in the need to replace the body. If your shox holds air whilst left in storage but slowly loses it whilst riding the air is leaking between the air can seal and damper body. If you can't see any scratches, replace the air can seal. Then if it still leaks whilst riding then it's probably time for a new body.

Why does my DHX make a tapping noise on small bumps?

You may have the 2005 model with the schraeder valve outside of the reservoir. These shocks have a little shim which opens and closes when the shaft is moved in and out. This shim adheres to the surface it is sitting on and releases with an audible click. There isn’t anything that can be done, but it is not a problem. For 2006 onwards (DHX’s with the schraeder valve hidden inside the reservoir) Fox have fixed this.

What's the difference between Custom Valving and Push Tuning on my DHX?

Custom valving improves the ride of your DHX to stop it blowing through the travel and also helps the shock to feel less vague when cornering or riding g-outs. This is done by adding shims (similar to the Van RC) to control oil flow through the piston. These are configured to rider weight, leverage ratio and riding preference. This is included with the cost of the standard service on the DHX.
Push Tuning removes the piston bolt, piston assembly and existing bottom out pad. These are replaced with Push parts to make the ride feel a lot more taught and predictable. It stops the flat tyre feeling in some situations by stopping the shock packing down on repeated big hits giving a less harsh feel. It also allows the shock to be set up fairly linear as the longer, tunable conical bottom out pad controls the end of the stroke. The improvement is most noticeable when banging it down fast rocky sections where the smoother feel allows greater control with result that you can to go faster.

Why does my DHX clunk and bang?

You might want to check your air pressure. The DHX operates between 75psi and 200psi. If it drops below 75psi the boost valve in the reservoir can’t operate correctly and will bang back and forth. Other symptoms will be uncontrollable rebound.
Air pressure can be lost through leaks from the air valve. It will be worth removing the shock and putting it under water to see if air is leaking from the valve housing.
If this doesn’t help then you will have either a loose piston bolt which needs to be stripped/ serviced. Or there could be a gap in the oil which needs to be serviced also.

My rebound adjuster has stopped working, it will only wind out.

It is likely that the back of the eyelet has filled with mud, this needs to be cleaned out to get more rebound as the mud is clogging the threads stopping the rebound adjuster being screwed in.

Why does my RP23 knock in the Platform Off position?

This is the ProPedal valve shuttling between the compression and rebound stroke and can’t be eliminated.